Simplified flat spray nozzle

ABSTRACT

The disclosure illustrates a nozzle assembly comprising inlet and outlet plates stacked on either side of a spacer sleeve. The outlet plate has an elongated slot and the inlet plate has a pair of ports offset from and on opposite sides of the slot to promote turbulence within the spacer sleeve. The outlet plate may be made of flexible material so that for higher flow rates the plate deforms and provides a larger opening.

Elite States atet n 1 Watkins Inventor:

[52] U.S. Cl ..239/590.3, 239/597 [51] Int. Cl. ..B05b 1/04 [58] Field of Search ..239/568, 590, 590.3, 590.5,

2,563,152 8/1951 Brandt ..239/596 1,276,245 8/1918 Millard et al. ..239/596 2,559,592 7/1951 Button et al. ..239/597 X 3,085,754 4/1963 Thompson ..239/590.3 X

Prirriary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant ExaminerMichael Mar Attorney-Charles M. Hogan et al.

[57] ABSTRACT The disclosure illustrates a nozzle assembly comprising inlet and outlet plates stacked on either side of a spacer sleeve. The outlet plate has an elongated slot and the inlet plate has a pair of ports offset from and on opposite sides of the slot to promote turbulence within the spacer sleeve. The outlet plate may be made of flexible material so that for higher flow rates the plate deforms and provides a larger opening.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,647,801 8/1953 Lycan ..239/597 X 3,214,102 10/1965 Meyer ..239/597 X 1,466,088 8/1923 Coen ..239/590.5 X

PATENTED JAN 30 I973 INVENT OR.

SIDNEY C. WATKINS 7, 7% 07 m M ATTORNEYS.

SIMPLIFIED FLAT SPRAY NOZZLE The invention relates to nozzles and more specifically to nozzles of the flat spray type.

In the past there have been many different nozzle arrangements proposed to achieve a flat spray. For the most part these have been generally effective but they are complicated and expensive, thus requiring a great deal of precision in their manufacture.

Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a highly simplified and economical nozzle as sembly that produces a flat spray discharge pattern.

These ends are accomplished by a nozzle assembly comprised of inlet and outlet plates on opposite sides of a spacer having a through passage. The outlet plate has an elongated slot and the inlet plate has a pair of ports offset from the slot to promote turbulence within the spacer.

The above and other related objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from a reading of the description of the disclosure shown in the accompanying drawing and the novelty thereof pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. I is a longitudinal sectional view of a simplified flat spray nozzle assembly embodying the present in vention;

FIG. 2 is a plane view of the nozzle of FIG. 1 taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle of FIG. 1 taken on line 3-3 ofFlG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a nozzle assembly comprising a stacked inlet plate 10, a relatively thin spacer l2 and an outlet plate 14. As shown herein the plates l0, 14 are circular and the spacer 12 is in the form of a sleeve having an inner diameter 22 forming a through passage. However, they may be of other shapes and produce equal results.

Inlet plate has a pair of spaced ports 16, as shown particularly in FIG. 3. Ports 16 are formed from first and second intersecting arcuate sides 18 and 20. As herein shown, edge 18 approximates the inner diameter 22 of spacer 12. The outlet plate 14 has an elongated slot 24 providing a generally flat spray discharge. As evident in both FIGS. 2 and 3 when viewed in an axial direction inlet ports [6 lie on opposite sides of the elongated slot and are offset from it. In addition, their centers are 180 apart from one another and lie along a line extending at right angles from the midpoint of slot 24.

Plates l0 and 14 and spacer 12 may be secured in the stacked arrangement by one of a number of methods such as soldering, brazing or welding. As herein shown they are merely sandwiched against the end face 26 ofa fluid-carrying conduit 28 by a shoulder 30 integral with a sleeve 32 which is threaded onto conduit 28.

Plates l0 and 14 and spacer 12 each have a pair of flat indexing surfaces 34 and 36 so that they are retained between projections 38 and 40 of conduit 28 to properly locate them with respect to one another.

In operation fluid is introduced through an interior passage 34 of conduit 28 and passes through ports 16 into the through passage formed by the inner diameter 22 of spacer l2. Fluid then passes inward to the elongated slot 24 where the streams from ports 16 meet and cause a turbulence along the slot. The fluid is then discharged in a flat spray pattern from slot 24. The meeting of the separate streams just upstream of slot 24 causes a substantial turbulence which greatly enhances atomization. This enables the valve to be operated over a substantially increased flow range.

For further increases in the range of flow rates plate 14 may be made from flexible material. At higher flow rates it deforms, increasing the flow area between plate 10 and up to slot 24. This change in area thus obtained substantially increases the maximum output of the nozzle. This enables the slot to be sized to handle low flow rates but at the same time permit it to expand to adequately handle much higher flow rates.

The nozzle described above is highly simplified and can be manufactured in high volume production using only the simplest of manufacturing techniques. This greatly reduces the cost of the nozzle and makes it quite suitable for a wide range of applications.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that other variations may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as novel and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A flat spray nozzle assembly comprising:

a relatively thin spacer having a central through passage;

an inlet plate stacked on one side of said spacer and having a plurality of spaced ports forming inlets to said passage; and

an outlet plate stacked on the opposite side of said spacer and having a narrow elongated slot for discharge of fluid from said passage in a flat spray, said spaced ports lying on opposite sides of and being offset from said elongated slot, whereby the flow from said ports creates a turbulence along said elongated slot.

2. A nozzle assembly as in claim 1 wherein:

said spacer is generally in the form of a sleeve having a relatively small axial dimension, the inner diameter of said sleeve forming said central through passage; and

said inlet and outlet plates are generally circular plates having a diameter substantially equal to the outside diameter of said spacer sleeve. 3. A nozzle assembly as in claim 1 wherein said outlet plate is yieldable.

4. A nozzle assembly as in claim 1 having a pair of spaced ports positioned substantially along a line extending normal to and at the midpoint of said elongated slots.

5. A nozzle assembly as in claim 4 wherein: said spacer is in the form of a sleeve having a relatively small axial dimension, the inner diameter of said sleeve forming said central through passage;

said inlet and outlet plates are generally circular having outside diameters substantially equal to the outside diameter of said spacer sleeve;

said ports are spaced apart from one another.

6. A nozzle assembly as in claim 5 wherein said spaced ports are formed by a pair of intersecting arcuate sides, one side of which conforms to the curvature of the inner diameter of said sleeve.

7. A flat spray nozzle assembly as in claim 6 wherein said outlet plate is yieldable.

8. A nozzle assembly as in claim 7 for insertion in a nozzle holder wherein said spacer sleeve, inlet and outlet plates each have at least one flat indexing surface whereby said plates and spacer are properly oriented with respect to one another. 

1. A flat spray nozzle assembly comprising: a relatively thin spacer having a central through passage; an inlet plate stacked on one side of said spacer and having a plurality of spaced ports forming inlets to said passage; and an outlet plate stacked on the opposite side of said spacer and having a narrow elongated slot for discharge of fluid from said passage in a flat spray, said spaced ports lying on opposite sides of and being offset from said elongated slot, whereby the flow from said ports creates a turbulence along said elongated slot.
 1. A flat spray nozzle assembly comprising: a relatively thin spacer having a central through passage; an inlet plate stacked on one side of said spacer and having a plurality of spaced ports forming inlets to said passage; and an outlet plate stacked on the opposite side of said spacer and having a narrow elongated slot for discharge of fluid from said passage in a flat spray, said spaced ports lying on opposite sides of and being offset from said elongated slot, whereby the flow from said ports creates a turbulence along said elongated slot.
 2. A nozzle assembly as in claim 1 wherein: said spacer is generally in the form of a sleeve having a relatively small axial dimension, the inner diameter of said sleeve forming said central through passage; and said inlet and outlet plates are generally circular plates having a diameter substantially equal to the outside diameter of said spacer sleeve.
 3. A nozzle assembly as in claim 1 wherein said outlet plate is yieldable.
 4. A nozzle assembly as in claim 1 having a pair of spaced ports positioned substantially along a line extending normal to and at the midpoint of said elongated slots.
 5. A nozzle assembly as in claim 4 wherein: said spacer is in the form of a sleeve having a relatively small axial dimension, the inner diameter of said sleeve forming said central through passage; said inlet and outlet plates are generally circular having outside diameters substantially equal to the outside diameter of said spacer sleeve; said ports are spaced 180* apart from one another.
 6. A nozzle assembly as in claim 5 wherein said spaced ports are formed by a pair of intersecting arcuate sides, one side of which conforms to the curvature of the inner diameter of said sleeve.
 7. A flat spray nozzle assembly as in claim 6 wherein said outlet plate is yieldable. 